`Digital sign of progress, not one of obligation': Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Times Network announced the launch of a nationwide initiative urging citizens to mark the next step forward from demonetisation and pledge for growth -`Remonetise India.'TNN | January 05, 2017, 13:36 IST

The country's economy is recovering from the impact of demonetisation and is expected to post robust growth in the quarters ahead, experts said on Thursday and acknowledged that digital payments was the future.The views emerged at a panel discussion organized by the Times Network to launch the “Remonetise India“ campaign.

“I do not believe that we need to go back to the old cash-based economy...People are not choosing out of fear now...Digital is a sign of progress, and not one of obligation,“ PayTM chief executive officer Vijay Shekhar Sharma said.

IDFC Bank CEO Rajiv Lall said that demonetisation had provided a huge opportunity to the banking system to step up.

“One of the biggest challenges the country has faced for more than 50 years, was delivering banking services to the poor. This is a huge opportunity... This is their `sachet moment'.They have to take the same challenge that the FMCG companies and telecom companies took up years ago,“ Lall said.

Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava said the company had witnessed good sales in December despite demonetisation. “Retail sales were the highest we have had in any year,“ he said.

Times Network announced the launch of a nationwide initiative urging citizens to mark the next step forward from demonetisation and pledge for growth -`Remonetise India.' The movement seeks to encourage people to spend, enable them digitally, use less-cash and work to partner in the country's growth.

“I urge the citizens of our country and various stakeholders to join this movement and support the government in its future endeavours,“ Piyush Goyal, minister of state for power, coal, new and renewable energy, said.

Several on-ground activities such as Aadhar camps, investor camps and cashless festivals apart from a 360 degree campaign involving various channels of communication, including on-air, digital and social media promotions would be carried out as part of the campaign.